Workout
Meditation
Contact Us
Barcelona started the season in possibly the best form it has shown in years, culminating in thrashings of Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. However, things could hardly have gone worse in La Liga since that climactic moment.
Their last defeat against Leganés has given them only one victory in six games at the national level, a streak that has seen them lose 13 points and lose the lead in the table. Those figures are not even the most worrying.
As Sport pointed out, Barcelona have 38 points from their first 18 games, exactly the same as under Xavi Hernández last year, in a season widely described as disastrous in the end. They are 7 points from where they were when they won the League with Xavi, but at least they have scored 16 more goals and conceded one less than last season.
The same outlet goes on to point out that the last time Barcelona were in such poor shape, Ronald Koeman was left without a job. Marca also highlights that in the last five rounds of La Liga, no team has added fewer points than the two that Barcelona has: Valencia and Alavés have three, with the job stability of Rubén Baraja in doubt and Chacho Coudet recently installed in Mendizorrotza.
Barcelona are close to closing a deal for Cardoso Varela, a 16-year-old FC Porto winger. The player and his agent landed this morning in Barcelona and had lunch with Deco. Right now they are visiting the Ciutat Esportiva. @monfortcarlos pic.twitter.com/G4tniu1uhz
— Barcacentre (@barcacentre) December 16, 2024
Another problem Flick faces is his inability to react to adversity. Since the comebacks at the beginning of the season against Rayo Vallecano and Valencia in August, MD points out that Barcelona has not been able to add a single point in games in which it was behind: AS Monaco, Osasuna, Real Sociedad, Las Palmas and Leganés.
Barcelona will face Atlético Madrid on Saturday night and will also be without main creator Lamine Yamal due to injury, in a clash that could be decisive in the title race. Regardless, if the players and Flick don’t find a way to counteract their recent problems, the race for the Blaugrana will end sooner rather than later.
